Strictly Come Dancing fans say Paul Merson 'not happy' as he's 'stitched up' by show

Viewers tuning into Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night were convinced Paul Merson wasn't happy with the judges, as some fans slammed the show.

Fans had already complained in the week about Paul's song choice and dance ahead of his first performance. Paul himself appeared annoyed by the decision during last week's pairing show, with reports his reaction had to be "rerecorded".

With him said to be "fuming", fans couldn't help but notice during Saturday's live launch show that Paul seemed to be stood at the back of the group at first. Some viewers suggested he was still annoyed, calling out producers for trying to make him "the joke act".

But as his performance arrived, he was all smiles as he and his pro dance partner Karen Hauer took on an American Smooth to Vindaloo by Fat Les. Viewers and the judges were left pleasantly surprised by how it went, commenting it "wasn't a disaster".

While some of the judges' feedback focused on the entertainment value, the comments of viewers showed many fans thought he did a good job. But as it came to the scores, Craig Revel Horwood only gave him two points, with Motsi Mabuse giving him four points.

Some fans noticed Paul's reaction and believed he was annoyed at the score, as others were sure he was still annoyed about the song. One fan posted: "I love Paul Merson but he is not happy with that score!"

READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing fans make plea over 'terrible' Paul Merson news as star 'fuming'

Meanwhile several viewers once again called out the show, complaining that Paul was being "stitched up" and treated like "a joke act". They said he "never stood a chance" thanks to the dance and song given to him.

One fan said: "He didn’t stand a chance. Embarrassed for everyone involved," as another said: "Add Paul Merson to the list let down by the producers.." A third fan posted: "I feel like they are trying to sabotage Paul Merson from the off. That was discombobulating," while a fourth said: "Well done Paul and Karen totally stitched up by #Strictly good effort."

Last week Paul's song choice was said to have gone down terribly with the ex sportsman. A source claimed bosses had to "re-record" his reaction due to his dismay. An onlooker told the Daily Mail: "You can't blame him for thinking he is being set up to be the joke act, but also the connotations of it [the song] are also not exactly positive either.

"It has been accused of being racist and the song that far-Right football hooligans sing." Viewers saw Paul looking dejected when his dance was revealed during the launch show. After hanging his mouth open in surprise that he was doing an American Smooth to a terraces favourite, Paul said: "What dance is it again?" His partner Karen then tried to lighten the mood as she joked "It's an American Smooth but it might be bumpier than that."

Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and Threads.